The Hundred

The Hundred, advanced courtesy of Peak Pilates

The hundred is a classic Pilates mat exercise. The hundred requires that we coordinate the breath with the movement, and be strong and graceful at the same time. 1) Lie on your back with your knees bent and the shins parallel to the floor. For now, put your hands behind your knees. Inhale to begin. 2) Exhale: Bring your chin down and curl your upper spine up off the floor. Keep the shoulders engaged in the back. The gaze is down into the scoop of the abs. Stay here and inhale. 3) Exhale: At the same time, activate your abs, and extend your legs and arms toward the wall in front of you. Your arms extend straight out but low, just a few inches off the floor. Your legs should only be as low as you can go without shaking, and without your lower spine pulling up off the mat.

4) Five short breaths in and 5 short breaths out (like sniffing in and out) go along with a controlled up and down pumping of the arms. This is a small pumping action - be sure to keep your shoulders relaxed. 5) To finish: Keep your spine curved as you bring the knees in to your chest. Grasp your knees, and then allow your upper spine and head to roll, sequentially, back to the floor. Take a deep breath in and out.

The Roll Up

1) Lie flat on your back, arms stretched above your head, ribcage down. 2) Inhale: Leave your shoulders down and your scapula settled in your back as you bring your arms overhead, nod your chin and begin to curl your upper body forward. 3) Exhale: Continue rolling up off floor as you deepen the scoop of the abs and reach your arms forward, parallel to your legs. 4) Inhale: Begin with a deep pull in of the lower abs to start to roll back down. 5) Exhale: Continue to roll down, one vertebrae at a time.

Repeat up to six times. For the more instructions and relevant links go to the roll up.

Single Straight Leg Stretch

Single Straight Leg Stretch courtesy of Kolesar Studios

Single straight legs is a challenging Pilates mat exercise that works abdominal endurance and stretches the backs of the legs. (This is a different exercise than single leg stretch.) 1) Begin lying on the mat with legs extended toward the ceiling. Legs and heels are together in Pilates stance, rotated slightly outward from the hips. 2) Extend your spine, pull in your abdominals, and curl your upper body up off the mat. The tips of the shoulder blades touch the mat. 3) Grasp an ankle, or below the knee if you have tight hamstrings, and stretch the other leg out at a 45 degree angle. Adjust the angle of the outstretched leg to make the exercise more or less difficult. The lower the leg, the harder the abdominals have to work to maintain alignment. 4) Inhale and pull your leg toward you,

pulsing it toward you twice, increasing your stretch each time. Switch legs. 5) Exhale and pull your leg toward you, pulsing it toward you twice, increasing your stretch each time. Switch legs. Repeat each set 6 to 10 times.

Criss Cross

Criss Cross (c) 2006, Marguerite Ogle

Criss cross puts a special emphasis on the obliques. The obliques aid postural stabilization, but they are more involved in flexion and rotation of the spine. One of the big benefits of working the obliques is that they help define the waist. 1. 2. 3. 4. Lie on your back in neutral spine, shins up - parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head, supporting the base of the skull, elbows wide. Leaving the pelvis in a neutral position (not tucked or hyperextended), scoop the abdominals and curl the chin and shoulders off the mat. Inhale Exhale: Extend your left leg out straight at a 45 degree angle. Keep your elbows wide and chest open as you rotate your torso so that your left armpit is reaching for your right knee. Inhale: Switch legs, bringing your trunk through center. Exhale: Extend your right leg, and rotate your upper body toward your left knee.

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7. Double Straight Leg Lowers

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10. 11.Double Straight Leg Lower 12.photo: Peter Kramer, courtesy of Kolesar Studios

13. Double straight leg lowers is very effective at working both the upper and lower abdominals. Provided that you do it correctly, this is an ideal core strength and flat ab builder. 14. Follow these step by step instructions and learn to protect your back as you get a great abdominal workout. 15. 1) Prep: Lie on your back with your legs straight up toward the ceiling. 16. Place your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows wide and chest open. 17. 2) Inhale 18. Exhale: Pull your abdominals down to the floor. Allow that motion to press your lower back into the floor. At the same time, curl your upper torso up off the floor. 19. 20. 3) Inhale: Your abdominals are pulled in, and your lower back pressed to mat. Lower your legs, thinking of lengthening them at the same time. 21. 22. Take your legs as low as you can with control and good alignment. Do not let your back pop up off the mat. Use your upper abs to maintain the lift of the chest, and don't try to hold yourself up by pulling on your head and neck with your elbows and hands! 23. 24. 4) Exhale: With control, deepen the abs even more as you return the legs upright. 25. 26. Repeat the exercise 6 to 8 times.